Sunday, October 01, 2006

The Quiet

There is a controversy whether God created the world from the inside out, or the outside in. As I look outside, there is no doubt in my mind as to which is correct.God created the world from a point, from Har HaBayit. From there, creation spread out to the universe entire. How do I know? I know, because of the quiet. The quiet descent of Qedusha that began from the Gates of Heaven at Har HaBayit, sometime this morning (or was it Thursday?). Slowly, it spread out, in all directions. Now, still three hours from the onset of יום הקדוש you can literally feel it as it envelops the earth. There is a hush, as קדושת היום settles over Eretz Yisrael. Nearby, men make their way to the miqveh. In a little while, Minhah and the first confession. At the סעודה מפסקת our family will look at one another, with love and apprehension and ask מחילה for past wrong doings.The quiet קדושה, for God is not in the lightening and the thunder, affects everyone who lets it in (as the Kotzker taught: וו געפינט זיך דער בורא עולם? וו מאן לאזט עם אריין ). A long time ago, my son lost his brand new digital camera. Heartbroken, he put up posters and looked everywhere for his camera, for which he had saved a very long time. He had no luck.This morning, after shul, I came home to find my wife holding the camera. Someone had deposited it outside of our home. The sublime silence of Qedushat Yom HaQadosh.God is in His Holy Temple. Be Silent before him all the earth.